


Better Love Notes, Extended

by Alliterative_Albatross



Series: Better Love [12]
Category: Narcos (TV)
Genre: A big ol' list of canon deviations because plots are hard and narcos is complicated, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Not Fic, Other: See Story Notes, This is literally a giant note dump in case you are confused, please don't get excited this is purely for chronic overanalyzers and my own peace of mind
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-23
Updated: 2021-02-23
Packaged: 2021-03-13 18:00:40
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29655138
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alliterative_Albatross/pseuds/Alliterative_Albatross
Summary: Better Love is an AU reader insert series that begins midway through Narcos season two. Because it is AU, and because Narcos is complicated af anyway, I wanted to take some time to clarify what things in Better Love will be different than what you’re used to seeing in the show.I had originally attempted to post all this shit in the notes section of the series page, but there's a character limit, and as the plot of Better Love has expanded, I've felt the need to expand the notes as well. This isn't more fic, and I'm sorry that I'm having to post it like one - I just needed the space.As the series continues, I will update the notes periodically, so check back here if something confuses you. I've done my best to clarify everything, but there's a lot going on here!
Relationships: Javier Peña/Reader, Javier Peña/You
Series: Better Love [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2073882
Comments: 3
Kudos: 8





	Better Love Notes, Extended

##  _If you’re confused about location, timing, or characters in my Narcos AU series **[Better Love](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/638555958072819712/better-love)** , this is the post for you._

**[Better Love](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/638555958072819712/better-love)** is an AU reader insert series that begins midway through Narcos season two. Because it is AU, and because Narcos is complicated af anyway, I wanted to take some time to clarify what things in Better Love will be different than what you’re used to seeing in the show.

**Ears**

> First, I think it’s important to clarify that Ears is more of an OC written in second person than she is a generic reader insert. I try to keep her physical description to a minimum (she’s short with wild curly hair, sorry not sorry), but expect her to have more traits that the average Reader. If that bothers you loads, I totally understand and you’re free to duck out at any point, but don’t come at me. If you have specific questions regarding Ears’ background, personality, physical appearance, family history, or whatever else, get with me privately. _I would love to introduce you to my chaotic sunshine child._
> 
> _Official Job Title:_ Ears is officially an employee of the CIA, but she is not an agent (read: spy). She was brought to Colombia to be a liaison between Centra Spike, the DEA, and the CIA. She introduces herself to Search Bloc by saying, “I’ll be your ears,” but in reality, she was put in place to be _Bill Strechner’s_ ears. More on that later. She has a background with the US Army that’s basically useless (desk job), a ton of training and zero practical experience with flyover recon and radiofrequency tracking, and she’s itching to do something real with her life.

**Timing**

> Ears arrives in Bogotá around August of 1992 and falls in bed with Peña pretty much immediately. Horacio Carillo did die recently, but Javi did not start working with Los Pepes and Don Berna until November of 1992. Assume all of the drama with Martinez Jr. and Los Pepes took place around the time that he and Ears were on the outs - that’s just another factor that led Javi to make the emotional, rash decision to work with the cartels that he winds up regretting.
> 
> There is actually a one year span of time between season two, episode six and the end of the show. Pretty much the entirety of Better Love (for now) takes place during this year, so if it seems like I’m really stretching things out, that’s actually because the show mushed it all together. I promise, guys, I have done my research here.

**Locations**

> The majority of scenes in Better Love will take place in Bogotá, the capital city of Colombia. It’s important to keep Bogotá separate from Medellín, which is where the nit and grit of the hunt for Escobar takes place. 
> 
> Getting to Medellín from Bogotá requires a one hour flight or an eight hour drive (Colombia is roughly twice the size of Texas, fyi). For a gringo, driving around the cities was dangerous, but driving outside the cities was suicide. Javi and Steve might take planes, or they might take an armored chopper, depends on my mood when I’m writing. Assume there’s a landing strip nearby the embassy, because I’m lazy like that.
> 
> _The U.S. Embass(ies):_ Centra Spike, Search Bloc, and the DEA office are all housed in the old embassy building that’s basically right across from the new one (the super upscale nice one that actually functions as an embassy). 
> 
> There’s a lot of confusion and shuffling around in the show, so I wanted to clarify what goes where (also, the real Murphy and Peña had offices in the old, unused embassy, so this is sort of legit). For simplicity’s sake, I am assuming that CNP (Colombian National Police) headquarters are also in or nearby this building. Ears might refer to “headquarters,” “the office,” or “the embassy,” and it’s all the same place. Basically, everything is centrally located in Bogotá, and when I refer to “the DEA office,” or “Javi’s office, picture it from season one - two desks that are not shoved on top of each other, with glass windows and real filing cabinets. The CIA is also located here, as is Strechner’s office and the fabled White Room.
> 
> These buildings are in Bogotá, nearby Peña’s and Murphy’s apartments. I will differentiate between the New, Swanky, Functional U.S. Embassy by capitalizing it and giving it its full title. If I say “embassy,” assume I’m talking about the older one where Javi and Ears are based.
> 
> _The Carlos Holguin School:_ This is the base of Search Bloc operations in Medellín, and the primary location that we see in season two of the show. Think of it almost as a military base - training grounds, barracks, bare-bones, no a/c, shitty food. Javi and Steve often stay at “the school” overnight while conducting operations in Medellín. They might also refer to this as “camping” or “the camp,” or “base.” It sucks balls. This is where Javi and Steve have their messy, shoved on top of each other desks that we tend to associate with the show. Javi and Steve still work from here just as often as we see in canon, there just won’t be as many scenes in this location because Ears is never there. 

> _Javi’s apartment:_ Javi and Steve primarily live in Bogotá. This is the same apartment building that you see in season one, with the big steps in front of the building and then an even larger set of stairs inside. There is also a big set of stairs on the back end of the building that leads to an underground parking garage (we see this in the season one finale, where Steve gets snatched by Navegante). This building is a five minute walk to the U.S. Embassy, but Javi and Steve mostly chose to drive for safety and convenience. It’s in a pretty decent part of town. There is one small canon deviation in regards to the apartments: in Better Love, Javi lives _upstairs_ , across from Steve’s front door instead of below him like we see in the show. They share a large front landing. I just really liked the idea of Javi having a view of the city from his bedroom window.
> 
> _Ears’ apartment:_ Ears lives in a tiny little flat on top of a drug store, a place that she found on her own through the friend of a work friend. It’s also in a decent part of Bogotá, but not quite as safe or upscale as Javi’s. It’s about a ten minute hike from the embassy and fifteen minutes from Javi’s place.

**Miscellaneous**

> _CIA/DEA Collaboration:_ The relationship between the CIA and the DEA in Colombia was not pretty. The show makes it look like a personal conflict between Stechner and Peña, but in reality, it was so much deeper than that. These two organizations have opposing goals, and communication and sharing of information was a real problem. Basically, they squabble more than they collaborate, and there was a lot of backstabbing, underhanded fuckery, and generally getting in each other’s way. Naturally, this is going to create tension between Ears and Javi.
> 
> _Bill Stechner:_ The show makes it clear that Bill doesn’t give a shit about Escobar or the cartels except in regards to the power dynamics they create, but let me reiterate here - his primary goal in Colombia is to keep it from becoming a communist state. That’s all he wants.
> 
> _OC Sicarios_ : Don’t get Velasco (canon sicario) mixed up with Verdugo (my OC sicario). They are different characters. Verdugo is the guy who features in **[The Rules of Engagement.](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/638326650560462849/the-rules-of-engagement-part-one-of-five) **
> 
> Feo is another sicario who is an OC. More updates on him later.

## Canon Deviations in Better Love

> **Series spoilers from this point on**. I’m going to take it fic by fic, so if you haven’t read something and don’t want to be spoiled, **stop at the bold print.** Again, Better Love is super fucking plotty, so I thought it was only fair to give you guys a reference sheet. Lord knows I need one, too.

_**[The Rules of Engagement](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/638326650560462849/the-rules-of-engagement-15-part-one-of-the-the):**_ Introduces Ears. Horacio Carillo did die recently, but Javi’s role in his death is undetermined/not mentioned. Javi does start working with Los Pepes during Rules, but only after he and Ears have their fallout. All of the bullshit with Martinez Jr. and the Castaño brothers takes place during the time that Javi and Ears aren’t speaking.

[_**Aftershocks**_ :](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/641341460990623744/aftershocks-15) Establishes with certainty that Javi is working with the cartels. His primary contact with Los Pepes is Don Berna. I think it’s worth referencing here that my version of Don Berna speaks English. This is going to be critical later. Also establishes that Don Berna has more connection to the Cali cartel than he does in canon. 

_**[Yours](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/642237607941718016/yours-13-the-better-love-series-javier-pe%C3%B1a-x):**_ Establishes that Connie Murphy is a badass biker bitch with a heart of gold, because I think the show did her dirty. She loves Steve and Steve loves her. Ears and Stechner get to know each other a little better, and Javi doesn’t like this one bit. Ears starts thinking about a leak in Search Bloc, and how dangerous that might be for Javi.

_**[Bang](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/643392114000101376/bang-the-better-love-series-javier-pe%C3%B1a-x-fem):**_ Javier Peña gives Ears a shady ass, probably trafficked gun for her protection. We don’t know details of where he got it. Solidifies the bro/sis relationship between Steve and Ears. Implies heavily that Javi is doing some shady things with some shady folks. A light introduction to the theme of weapons trafficking in Colombia, which was a massive problem that is barely even mentioned in the show. It will feature heavily in Better Love.

_**[The Shoebox](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/643504752536272896/the-shoebox-the-better-love-series-javier-pe%C3%B1a-x):**_ Introduces the character of Arturo, Ana Delgado’s shady older brother. Ears starts wondering if Ana knows more than she should. Confirms that the Fernando Duque arc does take place in Better Love, and that Javi is genuinely torn up by it like he is in canon. This leads Ears to start thinking more deeply about that leak in Search Bloc, and she begins to actively collect evidence with the intention of sniffing out the rat and keeping Javi safe. Mentions sex trafficking, also a massive problem in Colombia, and also a minor theme later on in Better Love.

_**[Shit Hits the Fan](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/643581271389437952/shit-hits-the-fan-the-better-love-series-javier):**_ Establishes that Arturo Delgado is actually a hitman working with Los Pepes, and that he and Javi have gone on some raids together. Javi is desperate to keep this a secret from Ears, who is friends with Ana, both for her protection and because he’s kind of ashamed of how deep he’s in with Los Pepes. Establishes that in the wake of the Ferando Duque debacle, the Castaño brothers did not reach out to Stechner for help, but instead decided to put a hit out on Javi to either kill or scare him off. Javi is no longer working with Los Pepes, but _he never did find out that Stechner was the one who set him up in the first place._

**_[The White Room](https://disgruntledspacedad.tumblr.com/post/643715136484442112/the-white-room-the-better-love-series-javier):_ **Bill Stechner reveals to Ears that her purpose in Colombia is to be his own personal spy on the DEA. He is investigating a mysterious sicario named Feo in relation to a massive russian weapons ring. Bill wants Ears to report everything that the DEA learns about Feo because he suspects that Feo might have connections with FARC, a communist guerrilla group that is Stechner’s public enemy number one. Ears realizes that she’s in deep shit, and also realizes the depth of the resentment between the DEA and the CIA, and how much their goals in Colombia actually oppose. Stechner is revealed to be a real bag of dicks here.

**Closing notes**

> Whew, okay. I will update this post periodically if more information becomes necessary or if you guys have questions, and I’ll reblog it if I do. I’m going to go ahead and tag my taglist folks in this, just because it’s a huge information dump. Of course, you probably don’t need to know these things to get the gist of what’s going on in Better Love, but if you’re a chronic overanalyzer like me, it might be helpful. 
> 
> Also, let me know if you guys want a list of the characters who are major players in the series. I know I had to make one for myself but I wasn’t sure if posting it would be overkill _(this is probably already overkill, tbh)_.

**Author's Note:**

> You guys let me know if you're interested in a second "chapter" of notes that's basically a gigantic Better Love headcanon dump. You can find all of these on my tumblr @disgruntledspacedad, but I'm not sure who is reading here versus who is reading there, and if you AO3 guys would be interested in this extra stuff anyway. 
> 
> Thanks very much for being patient with me and sticking around. I love you all to pieces.


End file.
